Hello everyone, 

Happy harvesting and happy holidays to you all.  Our Sunday shop is taking a summer break now until September 7 , and we are looking for more volunteers to help on the counter. Full training is given and it’s a great way to meet new gardening friends and get advice. Reply to this email if you’d like to go on the rota or sign up in the shop itself once it’s reopened. 

Sunday September 7 is also the date of our next Produce Day when you can donate excess vegetables for our volunteers to deliver to local charities and food banks. Thanks to everyone who helped on the last produce day, we delivered to six community cafes and the donations were much appreciated. Our community relations work always helps when we make grant applications for funding to improve our allotment facilities, so it’s a win all round. Please do let us know if you have a favourite charity that would like donations, or if you could help with deliveries, or if you could help with picking fruit. 

The Britain in Bloom judges visited in July to assess our progress and we submitted a document about our recovery from the flood. You can read more about it here.

Do browse the website and find out more ways to get involved in Bradley Fold. Also , you’ll find more chat on our Facebook account Bradley Fold Allotments and WhatsApp (let us know if you want to be added to this).

 August is also a great time to think ahead about overwintering your plot and starting to improve its resilience to flooding. Make sure your compost bins and water butts are secured firmly, number your wheelbarrows and take home any valuable tools. You might also want to consider sowing green manure to anchor your soil. 

Meantime enjoy your produce and please keep pulling up the pesky pink balsam! It composts well if you catch it before it sets seed. 

Best regards from all our committee, 

Janine Cottingham

Chair